Two to Be
by JM0613
Summary: Jace is a 24 year old guy trying to make it in the business of music. He does the occasional performance at Java jones while planning to finally record his first song. On a visit home he gets caught up as babysitter for the week of the troublemaker Max. Jace gets called into the school and meets with the extraordinary fourth grade teacher, Clary. Clace. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Jace's POV

I walked in the doors of my old house and made my way to the living room.

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" I yelled through the house. I walked through the doorway to find it empty, the lights were on and it was clean to the last pin.

"Jace?" I heard from the stairway. I stepped back from the living room into the hallway to look at the direction I heard my name being called. "Jace!" Max, my eight year old brother, yelled as he ran done the rest of the way of the wooden stairs and flung himself at me. I laughed and hugged him back as I seen Maryse and Robert descend the stairs.

"Hey Jace, I wasn't expecting you come around. How have you been?" Maryse, my adopted mother said to me as she gave me a quick hug as Max let me go. Robert smiled as he gave me half of a hug.

"I'm good, I just thought I would stop by and see how you guys have been doing. Its been a while." I said as we all made are way to the living room and sat down.

"Yeah, Its been a while since any of my kids dropped by." She said looking at me accusingly.

I gave a half laugh. "You know Alec and Isabelle, always doing there own thing." of course I know the real reason why they didn't visit often. Actually Isabelle, Alec, and I all hung out and were really close. The reason they weren't to close to our parents was because of their homophobia, and Alec being gay and all. He still never got the nerve to tell them, though Izzy and I found out halfway through high school.

"yeah, yeah, I know." Maryse said looking disappointed and waving it off. I knew she felt bad about not spending more time with us growing up but she and Robert still had their job. Both of them worked for the same company, both business people. Lots of times they left for days at a time on business trips.

"So what have you been up to?"

"Well I've just been writing songs lately, I am suppose to be recording them in about two weeks from now."

"Well that's good!" Maryse said looking happy. Robert just rolled his eyes while turning the other way. I knew he never thought I would make it as a singer and thought that I should go for a more 'realistic' job, but I have gotten over it. I was going to do what I liked and not go by his judgment. Another reason Alec was afraid to tell his parents was Roberts strictness.

" I do a couple of performances at Java Jones every know and then. I just back from there right now."

"oh, well you should have told us! We would have came to see you." Maryse excited.

I just looked at Robert who looked like he was paying no attention to the conversation. "Well Maybe next time." Maryse seemed to understand as she just gave a look to Robert.

"Can I here your new songs?" Max asked with a hopeful look in his eyes.

I smile, "Maybe next time I can take you along to see me."

He cheers up at this, "Cool! Mom got me new manga's at the store. You should see them, their very cool…" Max went on as he grabbed my hand and dragged me upstairs to his room. Once we got to the second floor of the very ordinary suburbs home he opened his door and led me inside the blue painted room I sat on his bed as he grabbed the books lying on the floor. Max showed me all the new ones he got and went on and on about what they were about.

I just smiled and listened.

We talked for a long time about how he's been, school, my songs, and Alec and Izzy.

When something caught my eye on his nightstand close by I turned my head to get a better look at it. It was a drawing, obviously done by a child.

"What's this?" I asked grabbing the picture to examine it better. Max looked up to see what I was talking about and his eyes widened a little as he saw what I was holding. He quickly shot up and tried to grab the picture, but of course I was to fast for him. I stood up and held it above my head so I could look at the drawing without Max taking it.

"Give it!" Max said trying to reach the paper. The drawing was of a classroom and with a teacher in the front. The teacher had red hair and was wearing a dress. I instantly saw that max was in the front row. It wasn't to bad for a eight year old.

"Why are you so defensive? It's just a drawing of a classroom.

I look back at the drawing to see if I missed anything. I notice how there aren't many other students in the classroom and how they all look like he didn't put much effort into them. I see that the drawing was mainly about the teacher teaching what looked like art. I look back down at the blushing blue-eyed boy in front of me who stopped trying to reach the paper. A smile creeps on my face.

" Oh, I get it. You have a crush on your teacher don't you?" I say mischievously. His blush deepens as he stutters out a reply.

"I-I do not." he says defensively.

"You do!" I laugh at max's embarrassment, this was adorable. He crossed his arms and looked down.

"Hey, its ok, I'm just teasing you." I reassured him. After we talked some more we went downstairs to the kitchen for ice cream.

"Jace? Do you think you could babysit Max next week?" Maryse said as she entered the kitchen. "Me and Robert have another business trip. Are babysitter already said that she couldn't be here."

Max's face lit up instantly looking at me expectantly. "uh… yeah sure, I don't think I have anything going on." I said.

"Great. We leave Sunday night. You'll have to make sure he gets up and take him to school…" Maryse went on telling me all the things that I would 'need to know' about taking care of Max. I drowned her out, I heard it all before. Its not that hard to take care of a kid.

Once I left, I went back to my apartment which was in city. I lived about twenty miles from my parents house, which is why they live in a more suburban area. When I got back to my average- size pure white apartment it was just past ten so I got ready for bed. I sat on my bed with my acoustic guitar and my notebook and started to work on song lyrics.


	2. Chapter 2

Jace's POV

The rest of the week past with ease. Especially considering I didn't do much. I decided to just stay in and write new songs, except from the visit that I got from Alec, though he didn't stay long. I can't say that I got a lot done; I was at a lack of inspiration. I jotted down some ideas but couldn't seem to form them into a song.

Anyways, It was now Sunday and I was driving from my apartment back to my parents house with my bag full of clothes. It wasn't a long drive but seeming I got caught in traffic, I was pretty deep in thought. I hoped that I got some inspiration out of this, so that I could get out of this writers block.

Once I arrived at the house, I wasn't surprised to see Maryse and Robert rush out the door as soon as I walked in. It was only seven but of course they needed to be at the airport 3 hours ahead every time. I grew up with this kind of thing, Mom and Dad gone for days at a time probably once every month. All since the time I was adopted into this family. Of, course I didn't mind all that much, I had Izzy and Alec and, of course, the babysitter. The Lightwoods had their very own personal babysitter, Jia Penhallow.

I jumped on the couch and turned the TV on as Max and I watched a movie before both going to bed.

* * *

I woke early in the morning, as I always did, and changed before going down stairs to make breakfast. I cooked bacon, eggs, and hash browns before I walked upstairs.

"Max! get up, Its time for school!" I yelled as I jumped on the edge of the bed causing him to moan and slowly wake up. "Come on, you got to get up." I said as I grabbed his hand and basically dragged him to a standing position and down the stairs to the dining room. I sat him down before returning to the kitchen and making him a plate. I set it before Max and he seemed to brighten some at the sight of my cooking. As if mom ever cooked breakfast. I grabbed my plate before joining him and eating.

Max went upstairs to prepare for school and I waited for him.

I dropped him off at school and drove to Java jones, which was close by. I walked into the coffee shop that seemed to be buzzing from the men in suits heading off to work, the half-asleep people trying to get started for the day, and the people who were apparently still working on their laptops.

I ordered my coffee and waited before sitting in a empty table at the back of the coffee shop watching the people who seemed pretty oblivious to the rest of the world. There was even a TV hanging on the wall with the news playing. I opened my notebook that I always seemed to carry just in case I got inspiration anywhere for a song.

I instantly started to write lyrics down and continued on as the seen before me continued. I got several ideas just as I did these days before and I even got a couple lines down, but no rhythm seemed to come to me as I read over the lines that I got.

After the people cleared out and their were only a few people seated at tables I threw away my empty cup and left. Back at the house I pulled out my guitar from the backseat and took it inside on the couch to see if it helped me any. After an hour of blankness and playing a couple notes I turned the TV on. Of course I ended up just watching a countdown that showed the new top music. Someday I'm going to be on that list.

The rest of the day (and the one after that) seemed to pass by really quickly as once Max was back we hung out and messed around. He seemed to have planned most of what we were doing together.

On Wednesday was when things started to happen.

I just dropped off Max at school when Isabelle came barging in.

"Oh. Hey, where's mom and dad?" Izzy said as she noticed me in the living room. She came walking in to stand in front of where I sat on the couch.

"They are on a trip." I said, not looking up, continuing to flip through my notebook and sheet music while listening to the radio.

"Well, what are you doing here?"

"I am trying to write a song…"

"Do you always come her to do that?"

"Only when I'm babysitting." The confusion on her face left some but only to be replaced by more.

"Oh, why are you babysitting? Shouldn't Jia be doing that?" She continued on with her interview.

"Well if you haven't suspected anything yet, she couldn't. Maryse asked me to do it."

"Why didn't she ask me to do it?" she said looking a little offended as she stood in front of me.

I sighed looking up from my notebook. "Well for one, you couldn't cook to save your life," I said looking at her with amusement while she just gave me a dirty look, "and I just happened to be here when she got the notice."

She sighed, as she sat down next to me on the brown couch. "oh, wells. What are you working on?"

"I don't know yet. There isn't enough to get a title out of it."

"You stuck?" She said as she sat up some and looked over my shoulder.

"Yeah, I got a few ideas down, but their not coming into songs." I said, I let her look at the page as waited for her to say her comments.

" That's not bad, If your into politics I guess."

" It's not about politics." I said. Of course she would say that.

"Well, what are you having a problem with then?"

"The beat."

"Can't help you there. So what, you've just been listening to music this whole time?" She smiled at me.

"I thought it would help." I said sighing.

"Well is it suppose to be a upbeat song or slow?" She asked deciding to help. Turning on the couch to face me. It thought about that question for a while before answering.

"Well I would like it to be a more upbeat song but the lyrics to be more slow." She nodded her head. I doubted she could help since she was a fashion designer and didn't know the first thing besides watching me about writing songs.

"Well, you got the lyrics down, there must be some way that you pictured the song to go. Have you tried just singing the song? Making a beat to go along with it?"

I sighed audibly. It actually wasn't half bad an idea.

"Okay."

I grabbed my notebook and read the lyrics before deciding how I wanted it to go.

"_ Is this just an illusion_

_That I made inside my head to get me by?_

_20 years in debt_

_20 years in the government_

_20 years can never get me by_

_Then I feel you close_

_Feel you close like you wanted me to_

_Feel you close like you wanted me to_

_Believe in you_

_Rise to the top of the world, America_

_America, don't you cry_

_Lift me up_

_Give me strength to press on_

_From farmers in the fields_

_To the tallest of the towers that fall and rise_

_1-7-7-6_

_The names upon the list_

_For all the ones that gave until they died_

_Don't you hold back_

_I can see in your mind, and your mind will set you free-_

and that's all have."

"Wow, I like it its really good. I'm sure you'll think of something... I know what you should call it! Just keep it simple like... America!" Izzy said excitedly as if it was the most genius thing ever. Well maybe for her it was.

I sighed "yeah it seem like the most reasonable name for it."

She squealed in excitement.

And (of course) at that moment the phone rang. I got up from where I sat and made my way to were I heard the sound of the house phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Is this the parent or guardian of max lightwood?"

"Yes," I narrowed my eyes "for the time being. Why?"

"This is his teacher, Ms. Morgenstern, from Alicante Elementary School. Your going to have to come in and pick Max up from school."

I shifted from one foot to the other before answering. "Why? What happened?" I said as Izzy made her way into the kitchen and looked at me in curiosity of who I was talking to.

"He is in trouble. Please, come to my classroom in room 215 So that we can discuss his behavior."

I looked at the clock that hung on the kitchen wall that showed it was just about three in the afternoon. School should have been out and I would've have to pick him up anyway.

"Yeah, sure, I'll be right there." I Said before hanging up the phone. I walked back into the living room with Izzy following.

"who was that?"

"It was Max's teacher, He is in trouble and I have to go pick him up." I said grabbing my keys off the coffee table. I wasn't to surprised about the call. I got quite a couple of those calls in my day. And Max always seemed to find trouble anywhere.

"I'll come with you." Izzy said, and before I could even protest she was out the door. With a sigh I locked the door before heading to my car.

* * *

**not a very good chapter, I know, but I tried keeping this boring part brief yet explaining enough. You all know what's going on, I got this far in the summary. Sorry if its a little bland, I didn't find a need to explain every detail since you all have probably heard it a thousand times. what's more to explain? Jace is gold, Izzy has black hair, and they grew up in two story suburban house. Use your imagination...**

**That song was ****America - by Imagine Dragons****. Lets all just pretend that he wrote it. **

**Please, R&R.**


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